Consumers are active media junkies – they simply cannot access information through one channel. As marketers, there are numerous opportunities to engage with prospects across the web, and brands that limit themselves to a single avenue put themselves at a disadvantage.
With new technologies claiming most of today’s professionals’ attention, professionals sometimes overlook outreach tactics like email marketing. Despite Forrester Research’s “U.S. Email Marketing Forecast 2009-2014” report noting the average email inbox will swell to 9,000 messages annually by 2014, the practice is hardly what most online marketers think of when conceptualizing their next big campaigns.
Perhaps it’s time to revisit email and give it the attention that it deserves. After all, this direct marketing technique has proven time and time again that, through list segmentation and with defined objectives, reaching prospects and current customers with straightforward branded content can convert leads effectively.
Email marketing requires attention to detail – brands must segment consumers based on their characteristics, and many marketers have already mastered this craft. Lyris’ “2012 Lyris Digital Optimizer Report” delved into the details shaping email marketing today, and data showed that nearly nine in 10 campaigns are centered around newsletters. When asked what techniques they used when developing email campaigns, 85 percent of respondents cited list segmentation and targeting. More, 80 percent of marketers said this practice was also the most successful technique.
Respondents noted that they categorized prospects by demographic (39 percent), recent purchase history (28 percent), type of purchase (20 percent) and social media activity (60 percent). However, Lyris’ report suggests marketers should focus more of their attention on social media marketing. According to recent data, 57 percent of respondents gave social media a favorable assessment level compared to 54 percent who gave email a similar rating. Marketers also stated that they were more likely to give social media a positive assessment for generating ROI than straightforward email marketing.
Businesses using email to reach prospects, but aren’t segmenting lists by social activity or at least listening in on social chatter occurring via popular networks, should consider integrating new features into their custom content. According to BtoB Magazine, 37 percent of consumers share email content on Facebook or Twitter. Companies that aren’t including easy social-share buttons aren’t designing campaigns with the greatest odds of resonating among the widest audience.
